By Jake Donovan

There were a few bumps in the road in getting to this point, but Antonio Orozco is finally ready for his HBO debut.

The camera-friendly super lightweight from California hardly get a soft touch, as he faces durable veteran Humberto Soto in a dangerous crossroads clash this weekend at StubHub Center in Carson, California. The bout serves as the televised opener to a vacant title fight between Lucas Matthysse and Viktor Postol.

It's a bit surreal for Orozco, who was 10 years old when Soto turned pro in 1997 and has always admired his career.

"I remember seeing Humberto Soto on TV growing up," Orozco (22-0, 15KOs) noted to BoxingScene.com in putting the matchup in perspective.

However, he has witnessed far more of the still-crafty boxer from Mexico in recent times.

"I've seen him win world titles, and I saw what he did to John Molina last year," Orozco notes. "His age (Soto is 35, and entering his 77th fight through 18 years in the pro ranks) doesn't give me any edge; he's still a very dangerous fighter and I have to be at my best to get past him."

That it's hardly a gimme fight is precisely the reason his team sought this tough challenge. Orozco is represented by top boxing manager Frank Espinoza and promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, whose mission statement in the wake of a company makeover has been to present compelling fan-friendly matchups.

Each leg of this weekend's HBO doubleheader fits that bill, which is to be expected from the other three combatants on the show, as all are among the top super lightweights in the world. Orozco is still knocking on that door, and many of his peers would likely choose a simpler path towards the top.

Perhaps that's why they're not fighting on this weekend's HBO boxing telecast.

"Our fighters are the ones who make the call and decision to face the very best out there," Oscar de la Hoya, founder and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions told BoxingScene.com on Wednesday. "This a fight that Antonio Orozco and his team wanted, and we are glad that both sides agreed to this fight.

"This could very well be a candidate for Fight of the Year. Humberto Soto has been around for a long time and always brings it. Antonio Orozco is ready to face the best (super lightweights) in the world, and this is a fight he needs to prove he belongs with the great champions in the division."

Orozco would be foolish to look past Soto, and vice versa. However, while it's a fighter's job to focus on the present, it's a promoter's job to envision the future.

For de la Hoya, that means thinking about next steps for either fighter, but particularly a young lion like Orozco, who has reached the point where it will need to be title contenders and title fights from here on out.

"There are so many options for the winner," de la Hoya points out, though getting more specific when it comes to the 27-year old unbeaten rising contender. "A good next test for Orozco with a win on Saturday, I can envision him facing a guy like Mauricio Herrera next."

Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com.
Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
Facebook Page: JakeBScene